ROUND 1
Saturday 23rd of March.

SOUTH 5.2 8.7 12.14 18.18 (126)
GLENELG 1.1 2.1 5.1 8.1 (49)

Murray earns Panthers bragging rights

By Doug Robertson.
South Adelaide laid the foundations of a promising future and purged a host of early season doubts by mercilessly outclassing Glenelg to win by 77 points in the season opener at Noarlunga yesterday.
The Panthers not only claimed bragging rights from its hostile, if inspid, neighbour with the win, they belted the Bays into quick submission with a compelling team style.
Star power rover Derek Murray kick-started the avalanche with an eye-catching performance. He used each of his 25 disposals, including an impressive 12 marks, to deeply cut the Tigers defences.
Clearly the most influential player on the field, Murray would have racked up countless more possessions had he not been taken off in the last quarter to rest from the 30C-plus temperatures at the request of Port Power officials watching the game.
Murray, his Power teammate Jaxon Crabb (27 disposals, and two strong tackles), Chris hall, after a slow start, Clay Sampson, and bright spark Sturt Grand Final rover Merv Kartinyeri, in his debut with South, thrashed the slow-reacting, soft-tackling and disorgansied Glenelg midfielders.
South's defence led by Adelaide's Ian Perrie, club newcomer Trent Ormond-Allen and the unheralded Nick Manhood kept close check on their immediate opponents but had the confidence and flair to run down field at every opportunity.
The only blemish on what was a brilliant start to its season was losing stalwart defender Kym Cobb with a fractured jaw, which is likely to keep him sidelined for six weeks.
Glenleg's forwards regularly allowed South to run unfettered into attack and the quick rebound gave talented half-forward Mark Demasi, rookie Ben Newberry and rattling Ryan Fitzgerald, who kicked 8.4 from a dozen marks, first look at the ball and a host of clean opportunities.
At times the contest seemed like an up-tempo training drill as South mixed a desire to work hard all day - something often missing last year - with clean skills and a honed discipline Glenelg clearly did not have.
South dominated the dentre ball ups - although James Byrne, Kane Cornes, when moved into the midfield, and Matt Golding battled on. The Panthers brought a quick release style which made their Tiger opponents seem lost.
Glenelg's goal sneak Sam Logan kicked his only major four minutes into the second term but then South produced a stinging and unanswered 6.4 burst in 20 minutes to dictate the flow and virtually change the match.
South players ran to create attacking opportunities from every line but, more significantly, they also ran hard to protect the ball carrier or run down opponents with growing passion.
After the lanky Fitzgerald, in his return match with South since leaving Sydney, blew the game apart with a blistering 5.2 personal burst midway through the third quarter, South had control.
It played with flair, skills and aggression but it also played with several AFL stars who are unlikely to spend much more time in the SANFL.
"I feel it was a lot more of a team game than just individuals who were better than anyone else," coach Greg Anderson said. "We didn't have those (AFL) players in the prcatise matches and we were competitive. And I thought a couple of the guys who went back because of (AFL) players did really well in the reserves."
Disillusioned Glenelg coach Brentonm Honor was let down by a lot of players and he told them just that.
"Our skills, decision making and lack of discipline was terrible for the work we have done and the standards we've set in the pre-season," he said. "We were all set up for round one against South and we were woeful ... why?"

BEST PLAYERS: Byrne, K.Cornes, Golding, Baldwin, Mckenzie.
SCORERS: Baldwin 5.1, Logan, Irvin, Bell 1.0
INJURIES: nil.
CROWD: 2473.